Finally, Wren nodded. “I get in my bed for one hour. But I don’t always sleep.”
Savannah patted her shoulder. “Thank you for telling me the truth, Wren. Good job. Can you put on your shoes?”
“Uh-huh.” She hurried toward the door and shoved her feet into a pair of canvas sneakers she’d plucked from a small rack. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Same.” Savannah double-checked that she had the key Levi had left for her, then held the door open for Wren. She hurried outside, stopping short when a gray minivan pulled in the driveway.
“Someone’s here,” Wren said, immediately darting back behind Savannah and clutching the tail of her shirt.
Savannah’s scalp prickled. “Do you know that car, Wren?”
“No,” the little girl whispered.
Savannah’s pulse sped up. No need to panic. It wasn’t unusual for a child who’d experienced trauma to be wary of strangers. That didn’t mean she had to be. The door opened, and a woman stepped out. Savannah recognized her familiar hairstyle and blew out a relieved breath. “That’s Levi’s mom.”
“Oh.” Wren inched out from behind Savannah and twined her arms around the porch railing. “I don’t remember that car.”
“Hello there.” Leanne Carter moved toward them, carrying three disposable containers with lids in her arms. “Savannah, I’m so happy to see you again. Welcome home.”
“Thank you. Mrs. Carter, have you met Wren?”
“I sure have. Hey, sweetie.”
“Hi.” Wren pointed to the containers. “What’s in there?”
Leanne picked her way across the driveway, a pleasant smile on her round face. “I brought some meals.”
“We’re going to the park,” Wren said, her little hand finding its way into Savannah’s.
“Oh. Well, I’m glad I caught you.” Leanne stopped in front of them. “These need to be refrigerated.”
“I haven’t locked up yet.” Savannah gestured toward the door with her thumb. This was odd, pretending she had control of Levi’s house, when his mother probably came and went all the time. Using her own key.
“Perfect. Come in with me, and we can chat.”
Savannah hesitated. “Wren and I need to go. It’s a bit of a walk down to the park.”
“I can drive you. This will just take a minute,” Leanne called over her shoulder as she managed to get the door open without dropping anything. “Besides, we need to catch up.”
“Why do we have to go back in?” Wren whined. “This is taking forever.”
Savannah dipped her head toward Wren’s. “Patience, please. We’ll get going soon. Levi’s mom is doing something nice, and we need to be grateful.”
Wren shot her an annoyed look but followed Savannah back inside.
“I just wanted to say again how happy I am that you’re home,” Leanne said. “Your family must be thrilled—especially your mom, to have all her birds back in the nest.”
Wren slammed the door.
Savannah turned and pulled the little girl close to her and gave a gentle squeeze. She couldn’t blame her for her outburst. “Keep your shoes on, sweet pea. We’re going to go in just a minute.”
If Leanne noticed that Savannah hadn’t answered, she didn’t react. She’d already headed into the kitchen, obviously quite comfortable in her son’s home. Savannah shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“I want to go now,” Wren insisted. “I’m getting hungry.”
“I know.” Savannah patted her shoulder. “Me too.”
“We’re having a party tomorrow night to celebrate Jasper and Miranda’s engagement. I’d love for you to join us.” Leanne opened the fridge and put the containers inside.
Savannah’s stomach twisted. “I’ll have to check my calendar.”
She happened to be 100 percent certain there wasn’t a thing on her calendar tomorrow night, but she couldn’t quite come up with a plausible excuse. Levi hadn’t mentioned it. Did he want her there? Was he planning on going? Surely his mother wouldn’t stand for him to skip it. If Leanne Carter was having a party, especially an event honoring one of her children, she always expected half the town to attend. Still, Savannah would be quite happy to not celebrate Jasper’s proposal to Miranda.
“I’ll speak with Levi.” The words were out before she’d given careful thought to how they’d land.
Leanne shut the door and clapped her hands together. Her whole face beamed with excitement. “I’m just so tickled that the two of you have been able to reconnect.”
“I’m not—I mean, we’re not—”
“We haven’t wanted our Levi to be alone.” Leanne kept talking, as if Savannah hadn’t said a word. “I don’t have to tell you what a catch he is, but he sure has taken his sweet time settling down. Of course, Tori threw us all a curveball when she called things off.”
Savannah’s face heated. Oh, she did not want to have this conversation. Not now. And not without Levi to help her deflect his mother’s comments. “Mrs. Carter, I’d love to stick around and visit, but I really need to get Wren to the park so we have enough time to play before she has to come home for her nap.”
“Oh, of course.” Leanne’s smile dimmed. Her gaze drifted to Wren. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Savannah winced at her tone. “You’re not interrupting. It’s important to me to keep Wren on her routine.”
“What’s a routine?” Wren pulled on the hem of Savannah’s shirt, her eyes toggling between the two of them.
